When Moby asked the author of Food Matters what he thought about veganism, Bittman answered:

“I think veganism is the most principled position one can take when it comes to eating; there is no need to eat animal products at all, and – aside from processed food – they are the most damaging foods produced, both from a personal and a global perspective.”

“Having said that, I think veganism is a very tough sell. And I would rather see millions, tens of millions of people significantly reduce their consumption of animal products than see tens of thousands eliminate them.”

“As an aside, let’s also remember that one can be a vegan and still eat junk. So my advice remains – eat plants above all else, eat unprocessed or minimally processed plants whenever possible, and eat these foods at the expense of everything else, particularly animal products and junk.”

And if you can’t go veg all the way, you can still use Bittman’s “vegan until six,” approach.

Learn more about what Bittman has to say about topics such as factory farming and buying organic vs. local